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It's been eight years since Lee Maximchuck fought a competitive bout, but the 26-year-old accountant is feeling pretty confident about stepping back into the ring tonight.

Maximchuck, one of seven boxers competing for Police Gym in London, only arrived on the island in January, from the west coast of Canada.

He fought pretty regularly as a teenager but only got back into the sport around a year ago.

Now he hopes to be a regular fighter on the Bermuda scene, with the Perozzi world-title undercard and the Police Black-Tie night later this year in his sights.

"I'd been training for a few months before I came out here and I wanted to keep it going so I hooked up with the Police Club and now hear I am going to London and talking to you!"

"I'm not going to England for nothing, I feel confident. I can't badmouth my opponent or anything because I don't even know who he is.

"Hopefully, you'll see my name more on the island in future boxing events. If not then I got lost in some little underground boxing club in London," he joked.

The event is actually the Police and Community Boxing Association of England's annual rumble with amateur fighters from clubs across the country taking part.

Boxers have been matched with people of similar experience.

Asaph Rawlins, a Bermudian police officer, who is also on the England tour, has only been fighting for just over six months but already has a 3-0 record.

He first fight was last November, and took to the sport instantly.

"I actually didn't intend to fight at all when I started boxing, I was just training to get fit and I thought I would try it out."

Rawlins, who fights in the super heavyweight class, said his main concern was that he didn't get an opponent who was too big.

The class is for fighters of 200lbs and above and has no upper limit. Rawlins is 216lbs.

"The last two fights I have had were against guys who were more than 40lbs heavier than me.

"The last guy gave me a couple of hard hits and you are just doing whatever it takes to get out of the way. You don't want to take too many blows from a 250lb guy."

Rawlins, who trains three times a week at the police gym, said he had played several sports and practiced martial arts but boxing was the most physically demanding. The 26-year-old added: "This is by far the most intense. I would say six minutes of boxing is tougher than a game of basketball."

Rawlins and Maximchuk will be joined by Tony Suhartono, in his first fight, Melvin Martin, Josh Smith, Lloyd Peterkin and Reece Simpson for tonight's card.[[In-content Ad]]

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